


Three ways to kill a person

by ripplegrin



Category: Magic: The Gathering
Genre: Elf, Troll - Freeform, a ton of them, body horror due to that, phrexians, preator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-10-07 01:10:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17356124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ripplegrin/pseuds/ripplegrin
Summary: Teague tries to barter past a gruul giant and reminiscences about his time back on mirrodin.





	Three ways to kill a person

The most annoying thing about walking through gruul territory is how territorial the guild members are. If it wasn’t me, they’d be dead by now or at the very least, they’d need a visit to the closest healer.

“How you get back up?! That should have kept you down!” The ogre that threw me into a pile of rubble about the size of a caravan shouted, loud enough to almost deafen. I stood up, brushed off some dust that unsurprisingly coated me and yawned.

“Sorry. I’m not a fan of staying down, a bit hard on my back. You know?”

“I’m gonna make sure you can’t get up anymore!” I see that jokes are far above his head, even though he towers above me. He grabbed a club with a lot of sharp bits and lunged at me. Wonderful. First swing broke my arm and the second went wide but I still landed on my ass. His laughter was only slightly louder than his previous shouts and just as irritating.

Lots of people think a troll’s regeneration makes a sound of some kind but it is purely silent. Terrifying to watch as bones and flesh regrown and set but quiet. The look on his face was priceless though.

“You too small to do that! You aren’t troll!”

“Can’t say I was a troll. I look more human than that. Can I go through already or are we gonna keep doing this? I got plans that don’t involve you.”

“No not-gruuls allowed past here!” And he decided to swing again but this time he missed. If I try to walk past, he’ll throw me back again. If I turn back and find a new path, I’ll be late. I hate guys like this.

“If you can kill me with the next blow, can I go past?” You could hear the rusted gears crank and turn in his head as he slowly nodded. Either his brain burned out from that or he thinks he has an excuse to kill. He swung to crush me in one blow. Good luck to him.

“There are three ways to kill a man, Teague. Do you remember them?” My master loved riddles while we waited for something to hunt.

“Kill their family so they have nowhere to go. Kill their mind to make them like the nim. And a dagger through the heart kills most men.” I was so nonchalant back then. I can still hardly tell it was only half a decade ago.

“Aye! So why is it ya wanted to learn under the trolls?” Only half elf in town and only one who wanted to learn under them.

“I want to tell stories longer than anyone else.”

“You’re gonna have trouble outliving the full bloods, ya know? But more power to you.”

His name was…. What was his name…. I forgot it…. I thought I couldn’t cry anymore….

The roaring of the ‘victorious’ ogre woke me up. Huh. Thought I couldn’t sleep anymore. Head doesn’t hurt, legs still work, wonderful. I stood up again and cleared my thought. Much like how an ogre would look at a man who he just crushed the skull of, he looked at me like how an ogre would look at a man who he just crushed the skull of. 

“I turn you into jam! How you get up?” It seems a twitch developed in his eye as I was temporarily dead.

“I mean I just did.” I shrugged and I’m sure the emotion on my face was either a poker face or the emotion of ‘I don’t know either’. He shouted several obscenities in my direction and throw his club around 10 feet to my left before trampling off. Guess I won, if you can count that a victory. Might as well keep going, I’d rather not be late. Why do the Gruul have so much territory here anyway?

At first, we heard rumors of the Nim lands being taken over then it slowly spread to other lands. We heard of distant groups being ousted in days. Beasts the size of golems, claws that could rip our flesh and poison our blood and the few who survive…. Died by way of the mind. Eventually, it was our town. First the hunters, then the guards and finally my master died. I met him days later and he died for the second time. I can still feel the oil that replaced his blood. What was his name…

He was just a forerunner. Soon, I was the only one left. The earth quaked when the leader arrived. Well, Leader is a misnomer since he didn’t command the forces. Hell, even forces is a misnomer, appetizers is a better one. I ran for days, weeks maybe. I lost track. It didn’t. If it wasn’t for the regeneration, it stepping on my back would have been it. I blacked out and when I came to, the taste of sea water, fish and algae covered my mouth and nose. The Simic were kind but didn’t over a room. I had no home here or where I was before. I couldn’t tell if I was crying back then. I was already dead either way. Two to go.

Eventually, the Gruul lands subsided, leading to urbanized gardens near oak street. My note was pulled out again and I found their home. A normal size for three walkers to live in. A spire in the oak street area is a bit concerning though. I knock and a person with a fox mask opens the door, easily a head shorter than me but due to the curse, people usually are.

“Are you the one they call Teague?” The mask barely moved when they spoke.

“Yes, Are you the Meiyo guy?” They nodded and happily lead me inside. At least they didn’t try to kill me as a greeting. Nice change of pace.


End file.
